Process for automatically making electric batteries



AW- 25, 1970 J. PELLERIN 3 PROCESS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING macmucBATTERIES Original Filed March 29, 1966 I 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 1 33 I WL B B L g I:

INVENTOR JEAN P EL LERIN TTORN Aug. 25, 1970 J. PELLERIN 3, 5,

PROCESS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING ELECTRZC BATTERIES Original Filed March29, 1966 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR vn sm PELLERIN M 5 J. PELLERIN; 3 5

PROCESS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING ELECTRIC BATTERIES Original Filed March29. 1966 9 ShetQs-Sheet s INVENTOR JEAN PELLGRIN J. PELLERIN PROCESS FORAUTOMATICALLY MAKING ELECTRIC BATTERIES Original Filed March 29. 1966 9Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR JEAN PELLERIN imam Aug. 25, 1970 J. P-ELLERIN3,525,151

PROCESS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING ELECTRIC BATTERIES Original Filed March29. 1966 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 mvsu'ron JEAN PELLERIN ATTORNE Aug: 2, 1970 JPELLERIN 25.

PROCESS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING ELECTRIC BATTERIES Original Filed March29. 1966 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG.7

INVENTOR JEAN PE L L ER l N BY H rronm-z .l v W 19.70 J. PELLERIN3,525,151

PROCESS FOR AUTOMATICALLYMAKING ELECTRIC BATTERIES Original Filed March29, 1966 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG.8

+ 9 INVENTOR JEAN P LLERIN TTORN Aug-Z5, 1970 J. PELLERIN 3,525,151 rPROCESS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING ELECTRIC BATTERIES,

Original Filed March29, 1966 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 FIG.80 Q 62 Y INVENTORJEAN pELL-eRlN W 1970 J. PELLERIN 3,525,151

PROCESS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING ELECTRIC BATTERIES Original Filed March29, 1966 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 FIG.9

INVENTOR Jam :25 Lenm TTORN United States Patent 3,525,151 PROCESS FORAUTOMATICALLY MAKING ELECTRIC BATTERIES Jean Pellerin, Poitiers, France,assignor to Societe des Accumulateurs Fixes et de Traction (SocieteAnonyme), Romainville, Seine-St.-Denis, France, a company of FranceOriginal application Mar. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 538,278, now Patent No.3,394,858. Divided and this application Nov. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 704,962

Int. Cl. H01b 13/00 US. Cl. 29-624 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Acontinuous automatic method of effecting interconnection of a group ofunconnected cells to form a battery comprising the steps of firstassembling said group of interconnected cells in spaced proximity in acasing, each cell having a metallic central terminal cap and anunconnected interconnecting conduit element electrically joined to theother terminal of each cell, moving such cells to a first processingzone and there applying treating solution to said caps and cambering therespective interconnecting conduit elements for application to therespective caps of adjacent cells, moving said cells to a secondprocessing zone and pressing the respective interconnecting elementsonto the respective underlying caps and soldering them thereto byapplying soldering elements and solder thereto, moving said cells to athird processing zone and there testing the mechanical security of thesoldered joints between elements and cap and electrically testing thevoltage of the group of connected cells, and rejecting defectivebatteries in a zone beyond said third zone as a result of said testing,the time in transit through each of the zones being sufficient tocomplete the respective treatments described therein.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 538,278, filedMar. 29, 1966, now Pat No. 3,394,858.

This invention relates to an apparatus and process for automaticallymaking electric batteries. It is more particularly concerned with thesoldering operations for effecting interconnections between cells andwith the testing of electric batteries comprising several interconnectedcells.

Automatic machines relying on the principle of continuous kinematics arealready known. The machine of this invention utilizes this principle. Inthese machines, as embodied herein, the articles which are beingprocessed are moved along successively through several turrets which arepositioned tangentially in relation to each other, their tangentialspeeds being equal. Such machines comprise several processing turretsseparated by transfer turrets. The processing turrets comprise a numberof berths in which the articles to be processed are placed, a proceessing means being located on each turret opposite each berth, suchprocessing means being fixed in relation to the corresponding berth.Only one operation or one series of operations is effected on eachprocessing turret, the time of the operation or of the series ofoperations being effected is the time during which an article remains onthe said turret.

Such machines permit very high manufacturing rates.

Objects and features of the invention are the provision of a process formaking interconnections between cells of batteries and for automaticallytesting the electric batteries after interconnection of their cells, andare more especially notable in that the assembled cells intended to formrespective batteries are first properly oriented to 3,525,151 PatentedAug. 25, 1970 iCC the same relative angular position, then the portionsto be soldered are pickled to cleanse them, then the interconnectingelements or wires of some cells are turned down upon the caps of othercells, then the soldering operations are performed on such wires, andlastly, electrical and mechanical testing operations are performed oninterconnected cells so that the defective batteries can be rejected.

Other objects and features of the invention are the provision of amachine for automatically performing a sequence of operations onsuccessive groups of assembled cells each constituting a battery andmore especially related to the manufacture of electric batteries, andmore particularly intended for the operations of applying the electricinterconnections in the right places, soldering these connections andthen testing the resulting batteries comprising several interconnectedcells, by utilizing the said process. Said machine comprises generallyan input conveyor, a first transfer turret or input turret, a firstprocessing turret on which the cells are oriented to the correct angle,the areas to be soldered are pickled or have flux applied for cleansingand the interconnecting elements are cambered, a second transfer turret,a second processing turret in which the interconnecting elements areapplied onto the cell caps and the soldering operations are performed, athird transfer turret, a third processing turret on which the mechanicaland electric testing operations are performed on successive batterieswhose cells have been interconnected and a fourth transfer turret oroutput turret on which the defective batteries are picked out forrejection, said apparatus being more especially characterized by thefact that measures are taken for maintaining the battery arriving at theentrance to the input turret at a given distance from the precedingbattery during the time taken for inserting the latter into said inputturret.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the battery following thebattery arriving at the entrance of the input turret is held back orretarded by an automatic braking device dependent upon the deviceintroducing the successive batteries into the input turret.

According to another embodiment, the spacing between the said twobatteries is effected by means of a variable pitch screw.

According to another characteristic and feature of the invention, thesoldering turret comprises one arm provided with heating soldering peensfor each processing station thereof, said arm rotating and dipping theend of the said peens in one tank placed in a fixed position in relationto the turret, said tank containing solder, the trajectory of the peensin relation to the solder tank being designed so that the dipping intothe solder is effected at the lowest possible speed.

According to a further embodiment, the said trajectory comprises aretrogression point situated on a level with the solder tank.

Other objects, features and characteristics of the invention will becomeapparent both from the following description, presented for illustrativeand not for limitative purposes and from the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG, 1 diagrammatically shows groups of assembled cells intended to forma battery in the condition when it is inserted in the machine embodyingthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a general diagrammatic plan view of the machine according tothe invention;

FIG. 3 is a detailed diagrammatic plan view of the input turret of themachine;

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of batteries on the input conveyorarriving at the entrance position to the input turret;

FIG. 4a is a similar view of a modification;

FIG. is a detailed diagrammatic plan view of the first processing turretof the machine;

FIG. 6 is a detailed diagrammatic plan view of the soldering turret;

FIG. 7 is a detailed elevational view of the soldering mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a detailed plan view of the output turret;

FIG. 8a is a detailed diagrammatic top plan view of the testing turret;

FIG. 8b is a circuit diagram of the testing device in the testingturret;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the defective battery expellingmechanism, and FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 are views of details of the solderingand testing arrangements.

The machine shown in FIG. 2 comprises seven turrets including: a firsttransfer or input turret 10, a pickling and wire cambering and orientingturret 11, a second transfer turret 12, a soldering turret 13, a thirdtransfer turret 14, a testing turret 15 and a fourth transfer or outputturret 16. These turrets are supported for rotation on vertical shaftsin a machine frame and are driven in the directions of their respectivearrows by appropriate gearing and motive power in conventional manner.

The various steps of the process according to the invention aresuccessively performed on batteries entrained on the various rotatingturrets 11, 13 and 15. Batteries B (FIG. 1) Whose cells have not yetbeen interconnected arrive on a conveyor 17 and are entrained andcarried by the various turrets in the same order after respectivetreatments in each and in completely interconnected form after testingare carried away by an output conveyor 18. The respective turrets arepositioned relative to each other in such a way that the dead angles ofthe respective turrets are as reduced as possible, such dead anglesbeing comprised between the evacuation and the insertion positions ofthe respective batteries, into respective turrets and no processingoperation is performed on the batteries in such dead angles of therespective turrets.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is a diagrammatic plan view from above of theinput transfer turret 10;

The input conveyor 17 is positioned tangentially to the input transferturret 10 adjacent position I. A detecting device such as a contact 19of a microswitch M is positioned at the delivery end of the conveyor 17.A transversely, reciprocally movable pushing device 20 is positioned tooperate in a transversal direction in relation to the feeding motion ofthe conveyor 17. A vertically reciprocally movable shutter 21 which canbe moved upwards into a blocking position is located at position I onthe other side of the conveyor 17. A transversely reciprocally movablebraking device such as a brake shoe 22 is positioned alongside theconveyor 17 adjacent to the pushing device 20.

The contact 19 of microswitch M is mounted on a guard screen 23 which ishinged on a fixed axle 23a. A fixed outer guard 24 surrounds the turret10 extending from the location of axle 23a to the delivery position IIof said turret 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the batteries B which are transported by conveyor 17and which arrive at the entrance to the input 10 at portion I comprisecasings 25, each containing three unconnected cells 26, 27 and 28 whichare suitably insulated from each other. One of the end cells such ascell 26 is provided with a vertically extending blade 29 which isintended to be an output terminal of the complete battery and which iswelded to the individual cell casing of the said cell 26. The two othercells 27 and 28 are each provided with respective interconnecting wires30 and 30', both of the same polarity as blade 29 and also weldedrespectively to the individual cell casings 27 and 28 of said cells.Each of the cells 26, 27 and 28 is provided with a central metalliccontact cap such as caps 31, 32 and 33 which constitute its positiveterminal.

The transfer of successive batteries B to the input turret 10 isaffected as follows: As soon as a battery B on conveyor 17 arrives attransfer position I of the input conveyor 17, it engages and actuatesmovable contact 19 of the microswitch M. This, through a conventionalelectric circuit (not shown) simultaneously causes unlocking of thepushing piston 20 with forward motion thereof against said battery B andalso causes the brake shoe 22 to be pushed forwardly in order to pressit against and stop the next following battery. The required forwardmotion of the pushing device 20 is effected as by means of a flexibletransmission such as a spring (not shown) and is dependent on the rotarymotion of turret 10. When a berth C of the turret 10 lies in front ofthe pushing piston 20, if a battery B is located in position I, thebushing service 20 is unlocked by closure of switch M and is then ableto act. It then pushes the battery B in position I forwardly towards andinto the berth B. Simultaneously, with unlocking of the pushing pistonor device 20, the electrically operated blocking shutter 21 is elevatedto clear the entrance into said berth C and this elevation is continueduntil the battery B has been pushed into berth C.

The various devices hereabove described are intended for preventingfaulty insertion of the successive batteries B into the berths C ofturret 10. The batteries have a generally oblong shape in section withrounded ends and have a tendency to swing askew as depicted in FIG. 4when they arrive at position I. That is one reason why shutter 21 iselevated only at the beginning of the pushing motion of the piston 20.If required, a similar electrically operated shutter (not shown) can belocated at the level of the upper end of the battery in order to preventits toppling. Such a shutter would be coupled to and activatedsimultaneously with shutter 20 to clear the entrance into berth C atposition I when the pushing piston 20 is unlocked so that the battery 16at said position I may be pushed into said berth C of turret 10.

It is also possible to hold the batteries in proper position relative tothe pushing device 20 as by means of a compressed air jet (not shown)which may be directed to blow the batteries at position I against saiddevice 10, but this solution is costly.

The ends of the batteries as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 are rounded. Thus,they have a tendency to slip side by side whenever they become jammed onconveyor 17. For this reason, the brake shoe is provided which issimultaneous- 1y activated on closure of switch contact 19 to brake thebattery B directly behind the one arriving at position I and thusprevent the said following battery from exerting a pressure on thebattery B positioned at I or on the activated pushing device 20 which,as noted, has a flexible transmission.

In another embodiment, the batteries B on conveyor 17 could beprogressively and continuously spaced from each other before they arriveat position I for insertion into the berths C of the input turret 10 asby means of a variable pitch screw 22a (FIG. 4a) located alongside theconveyor 17. This embodiment would be particularly suitable for highspeed machines.

In the case of an accidental faulty insertion of a battery into berth C,e.g. when a battery is inserted crosswise,the guard screen 23 is movedoutwardly on its pivot axle 23a when the battery that has entered berthC at position I starts to move until the turret and its pivotal motionoperates a safety switch S in an electric circuit which causes themachine to stop immediately.

FIG. 5 illustrates in plan view the first processing turret 11.

This processing turret 11 is provided with pocket-like carriers 34 intowhich the successive batteries delivered thereto from the input turret10 at position II are received and entrained. The battery B that hasbeen entrained then is guided by means of an outer peripheral guard 36.This guard 36 extends around turret from position II to a positionIIIsaid guard maintaining the entrained battery in its carrier 34 of saidturret 11 during such transit.

Associated with each carrier 34 of processing turret 11, there arerespectively a pushing member 38, a swivel arm 39 provided with threeelastic keys 40 and a cambering lever 41.

The pushing member 38 is intended for engaging and restoring intoalignment with the battery longitudinal axis the blade terminal 29 whichmay have been misalignedby inward movement onto turret 11 and forstraightening the interconnecting Wires 30 and 30' which may have beenfolded inwards during battery transfer to turrets or 11. It isreciprocally movable in a sleeve 38 and may be cam actuated duringrotation of turret 12.

A fixed constant level container can 42 containing a flux, cleansing orpickling solution is positioned adjacent to turret 12.

During the motion of the pusher 38, the arm 39 is elevated and pivotedin opposition to biasing spring 39a to dip into and pick up somesolution from container 42 on its elastic keys 40 and then it isswiveled on its vertical pivot post 43 by spring 39a and moves so as tolie above the battery B entrained in its associated carrier 34. When thepushing device 38 is retracted under action of its cam, the arm 39 movesdownwardly on its pivot post 43 and its keys 40 and deposits a drop ofthe flux, cleansing or pickling solution they have picked upon each ofthe three battery caps 31, 32 and 33.

The arm 39 is then moved upwards and rotates or swivels on its axle 43,thus yielding place to the cam-operated cambering lever 41. This lever41 is provided with a comb 44 which engages, orients and cambers thebattery wires 30 and 30'- by moving longitudinally above the battery B.After the cam-bering operation, lever 41 which swivels on a horizontalpivot 41a under action of a cam moves clear of the said wires 30 and30'.

The transfer turrets 12 and 14 are identical. They respectively comprisecarriers 45 and 46 and outer guards 47 and 48 (see FIG. 2). Theseturrets 12 and 14 are used respectively for transferring the entrainedbatteries respectively from one processing turret 11 to the secondprocessing turret 13, respectively, from position III where the batteryB from turret 11 is inserted in the transfer turret 12 to position IV towhere it leaves this transfer turret 12 and is entrained on solderingturret 13, and from position V of the latter to entraining point 52where it is entrained in the testing turret 15.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show details of the soldering turret 13.

This soldering turret 13 is provided with carriers 52 which are used forguiding the entrained battery B in cooperation with an outer guard 53which latter surrounds turret 13 from position IV to position V.Soldering means is associated with each carrier 52. It comprises a pairof prongs 54 articulated on horizontal pivot 54a by cam 54b, an arm 55rotatable around a vertical axle 56 under action of a cam and isprovided with three soldering heating peens 57 (see FIG. 7).

The soldering operations are as follows: first the prongs 54 are movedunder the influence of cam 54b and grasp the already cambered wires 30and 30 and press them onto the corresponding caps 31 and 32 of theentrained battery. The arm 55 then performs the following operations. Itis rotated on its axle 56 and fieetingly dips the ends of heating peens57 into a pickling container or can 58 carrying a flux or pickling orcleansing solution. Then it is swung around its axle 56 and comes to theposition shown at the lower left of FIG. 6 and reference 59. It thendips the ends of heating peens 57 into a tank 60 containing moltensolder. This tank 60 is preferably of the so-called Flow-dipper typewhich has a minimum exposure of molten solder surface and with which itis possible to have a permanently clean surface at constant temperatureand level. The arm 55 then is reversely rotated on its axle 56 and thenmoves back above the entrained battery 16.

These two last motions are performed in such a way that the speed ofmovement of the arm 55 in relation to tank 60 is as small as possible sothat the three soldering peens 57 remain only long enough in tank 60 topick up three drops of solder. It is particularly advantageous that thetrajectory described by peens 57 comprise an elevated retrogressionpoint situated above the level with the upper edges of tank 60, suchbeing the case in the axample shown in FIG. 7. Peens 57 are heated byconnecting the wires 57' of their heating elements (not shown) in aconventional electric heating circuit.

Another important point is that the motion of the arm 55 after its peens57 have taken up the solder comp-rises very low accelerations ordecelerations so that no drop of solder is lost. When the peens 57 areabove the entrained battery B, the arm 55 moves down on its axle 56, thepeens deposit the melted solder on the three caps 31, 32 and 33 and riseagain after about half a second. Both interconnecting wires 30 and 30'are then soldered to caps 31 and 32 respectively and the cap 33 of thelast battery cell 28 is provided with solder, thus preparing it for theapplication thereto of the positive output terminal (not shown). Thedescribed rotary and vertical motions of arm 55 and peens 57 on axle 56are effected in conventional manner by cam means (not shown) related tothe path of travel of an associated cam follower that moves with the arm55 during rotation of turret 13. Other equivalent means may be used.

After a cooling period, thus enabling the solder to set, this time beingabout one second, the prongs 54 are elevated by cam 54b and theentrained battery 16 ultimately arrives at transfer position V (FIG. 2).

The entrained battery B then passes via transfer turret 14 from thesoldering turret 13 to the testing turret 15 in similar manner to theprevious transfer thereof from turret 12, thus arriving at position VI(FIGS. 2 and 8a) and enters testing turrets 15 (FIGS. 2 and 8a).

The mechanical and electrical testing turret 15, like the otherprocessing turrets 11 and 13 is provided with carrier 61 and a guard 62,the latter intended for guiding the entrained battery B as it movesaround with turret 15 from position VI to position VII.

A testing device 63 is associated with each battery carrier 61. Eachtesting device 63 comprises a pair of elastic fingers 64 and 64a forengagement with respective of the soldered wires 30 and 30 of thebattery entrained on its associated carrier 61 to test the security oftheir soldered joints with caps 31 and 32. Each testing device alsoincludes a pair of electrodes 65a and 65b insulatively mounted on asupport element 65 and movable with the latter under cam action intoengagement respectively with cap 33 and blade 29 of the assembledbattery in the particular carrier 61. One of these electrodes 65a isconnected in series with a voltage measuring device in form, forexample, of a resistance 66. The other terminal of this resistance 66 isgrounded. The other electrode 65b is connected to a fixed contact 67a ofa normally open switch 67, whose movable contact 67b may be moved toclosed condition with contact 67a by a cam in position VIII of theturret 15. In traverse of the latter from position VI toward exitposition VII and near position VIII, conventional cams in the paths oftraverse operate in the latter position to cause the elastic finger 64aand 64 to engage the respective Wires 30 and 30 and test the soundnessof their soldered points with caps 31 and 32. If weak or loose, thewires are separated from the cap or caps by the fingers 64 and 64a sothat the battery circuit is broken and zero voltage exists across itscap 33 and blade 29. At the same time, in said region VIII, theelectrodes 65a and 65b respectively are activated by a conventional camto become engaged with cap 33 and blade 29 and a suitable cam alsocloses contacts 67a and 67b of switch 67, putting the measuring device66 and a relay R into the circuit of the battery being tested across itscap 33 and blade 29. The movable blade 67a of switch 67 is connected toone end of the coil of the relay R whose other end is grounded. Thus,when switch 67 is closed, if the current through the measuring device isnormal, e.g. that provided by rated battery voltage of say 4.5 volts,the relay R is tripped to open a circuit of a solenoid coil 68a of anelectromagnet 68 (FIG. 8) located adjacent the output turret 16. On theother hand, if this current through the measuring device is either zerobecause of a broken circuit at one of Wires 30 or 30' or less than usualif the battery happens to be below its rated voltage, the relay R willnot be tripped so that solenoid coil 68a of the electromagnet 68 (FIG.8) will remain activated through its power source E and serve as part ofa memory device to reject the defective battery in output turret 16 aswill be described below.

After leaving position VIII, the battery tested thereat moves withturret to position VII and is entrained there by the output turret 16and moves around with the latter toward exit position IX for entrainmenton output conveyor 18.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show details of the output turret 16.

The latter essentially comprises a dented wheel 69 provided with pocketsor recesses 70 into which the en trained batteries are successivelyhoused upon delivery from testing turret 15 at position VII and an outerperipheral guard 21 ensures the guiding of the entrained batteries 16 intheir movement with turret wheel 69 from position VII to the deliveryposition IX adjacent conveyor 18.

The turret 16 also comprises a plate 72 (FIG. 9) provided with fingers73 related to the dented wheel 68. For each pocket or recess 70 there isa corresponding finger 73 which accompanies it in its motion.

The electromagnet 67 already mentioned is fixed and situated alongsideturret 16 in the dead angle of the said turret. It controls a bevelledelement 74 pivotally movable around an axle 75.

An expelling device 76 acts to expel defective batteries 16 towards acontainer 77, at a position X in intermediate positions VII and IX.

The fingers 73 can slide vertically; they are maintained either inhigher position or in lower position by means of two grooves 78 whichcooperate with a catch 79.

The operation of this output turret 16 is as follows:

Fingers 73 are normally in their lower positions. When the battery isgood, the electromagnet 68 is not energized and the entrained batteriesare transferred from turret 16 at position 72 to the output conveyor 18.

When an entrained battery is found defective in turret 16, the voltagecontrolled relay R remains closed and energizes the electromagnet 68 sothat the bevelled element 74 moves to a position in the path of a finger73. The location of electromagnet 68 and of the bevelled element 74 issuch that the said bevelled element then acts to elevate that finger 73corresponding to the recess 69 of turret 16 which will receive thedefective entrained battery B which has actuated the said relay. Then,when this defective battery arrives in front of the spring-actuatedexpelling device 76, the elevated finger 73 will act upon this device 76and the defective battery will be pushed, thereby from its pocket 70into the rejection container 77. Means are provided for resetting thedisplaced raised finger 73 into its initial lower position.

This means may be constituted e.g., by a bevelled cam 80 fixed inrelation to the output turret 16 and should be preferably situated inthe dead angle of this turret between its positions (VIII and IX). Thegood batteries are not affected at position X and are carried by turret16 to position IX and onto output conveyor 18.

The automatic machine according to the invention has numerousadvantages.

Due to the disposition of the rotary turrets in accord with a continuouskinamatic principle, it allows for any desired manufacturing rates.

The machine according to the invention is very reliable since it stopsas soon as a battery is incorrectly inserted at position I by theopening of switch S.

Due to the specially designed trajectory of arm '55 hearing the heatingsoldering peens 57, it is possible to use only one solder-containingtank 60 while maintaining the soldering peens 57 for long enough periodsin the said tank to pick up required drops of solder.

The memory device constituted by the relay, the electromagnet 68, thebevelled element 74 and the fingers 73 make it possible to detectdefective batteries in testing turret 15 to expel them during theirtransit on the output turret 16 so that only sound batteries aredelivered via the turret 16 at position IX to the exit conveyor 18.

The above-described embodiment of the invention has been presentedmerely for illustrative purposes and is in no way limitative, it beingwell understood that changes or modifications may be made within thescope of the appended claims. There is no intention, therefore, oflimitation to the exact disclosure herein made.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of effecting interconnection automatically of a group ofunconnected cells to form a battery at high manufacturing ratecomprising the step of first assembling said group of unconnected cellsin spaced proximity in a casing, each cell having a metallic centralterminal cap and an unconnected interconnecting conduit element joinedto the other terminal of each cell, then entraining and moving saidcells automatically and successively through a trajectory comprising aplurality of successive independent tangentially disposed arcuateprocessing and transfer zones, in the first of said processing zonesapplying treating solution to said caps and cambering the respectiveinterconnecting conduit elements for application to the respective capsof adjacent cells, then automatically trasferring said cells to a secondof said processing zones and therein pressing the respective camberedinterconnecting elements onto the respective underlying caps andsoldering them thereto by applying soldering elements and solderthereto, then automatically transferring said cells to a third of saidprocessing zones and therein testing the mechanical security of thesoldered joints between elements and caps and also electrically testingthe voltage of the group of now interconnected cells and thereafterautomatically transferring the electrically tested interconnected cellsto a further processing zone and therein rejecting those found defectiveas a result of testing in said third processing zone, the times oftreating operations on each group of cells in each of said arcuateprocessing zones being the respective times of transit of each group ofcells through each of the respective arcuate processing zones.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein various arcuate zones havedifferent arcuate lengths and times of transit through zones ofdifferent arcuate lengths are different.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the different arcuate lengthsof various arcuate zones are generated by differently dimensioned radii.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JOHN F. CAMPBELL, PrimaryExaminer R. W. CHURCH, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

